Chapter 61

Chapter 61

It was no wonder Old Man Zhao recognized it instantly; he had been poor for most of his life and had never seen gold before, so he was fascinated by it.

His wife had buried the gold under the peach tree in the "Immortal's Land," and he would often dig it up to count and touch it. Even a carrying pole would become smooth with frequent use, let alone gold. A gold leaf had a few patterns, and the size and proportion of a gold gourd—he only needed a brief glance and a touch to know pretty much all there was to know.

They were exactly the same.

His heart was uneasy. He instinctively closed the box, turned to look at his bewildered son, and hesitantly asked, "Third Son, do all wealthy families know the same craftsman? Do they all go to the same person to make gold? Why does my heart suddenly feel so unsettled?"

"What's wrong?" Zhao Sandi was still immersed in the joy of the General's Wife's generosity. This was too much—both silver and gold! Jinyu had eaten coarse rice with wild vegetables every day at home, so how did he rate such a lavish thank-you gift? They had raised the child willingly, after all.

He reached out to take the box from his father's arms to admire it more closely, but Old Man Zhao glared at him fiercely.

"I just want to look, I won't hide it," Zhao Sandi said, feeling a bit wronged.

Old Man Zhao looked around repeatedly—nothing but woods as far as the eye could see. He carefully tucked the gold box into the bottom of the basket, covering it with tea leaves and pastries. Still uneasy, he got up and pulled a handful of wild grass to pile on top.

Watching his father's furtive, thief-like actions, Zhao Sandi was utterly confused. "Dad, what are you doing? This is a gift from Jin Yu's aunt. Why are you acting like it's something shameful?"

"You don't understand a damn thing!" Old Man Zhao cursed as he stuffed half a basket of wild grass inside. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Slapping his thigh, he exclaimed, "What a fine mess this is?! Could it be that we dug up the Yu family's hidden gold?"

Then, with a hint of relief, he continued slapping his thigh. "Your mother was smart, knowing that box of gold was too hot to handle. She was afraid of being discovered and never dared to take it out. Those hairpins, longevity locks, and gold leaves—which of those are things ordinary families can afford?! But for all my scheming, I never expected it to be the Yu family's belongings..."

Although they had dug up the vase unintentionally, who knew if it was someone's hidden treasure? Taking it away like that left him uneasy, always fearing discovery.

Though they weren't thieves, they had acted like thieves.

Fortunately, his wife was cautious and hadn't been blinded by the sudden windfall. She hid the gold and didn't dare use it. The only time she considered it was when the eldest son and the others took Xiaobao to the prefectural city, thinking that in such a big place, their little fortune would be like a fish entering a river—who would notice them?

But unexpectedly, the eldest son and the others got carried away with the city's attractions—listening to operas, watching the orphan girl selling herself to bury her father, and getting caught up in all the excitement. In the end, they got sidetracked from their main purpose, and the box of gold was brought back untouched.

Now, what should they do?!

After hearing this, Zhao Sandi was stunned. The gold they dug up was related to the Yu family? Had they profited from the Yu family's misfortune?

"What should we do? Should we take it back and return it to the Yu family?" Yu Linlang was Jin Yu's aunt. Their unintentional act of digging up gold buried by her family... logically, given their relationship... well, their relationship with Jin Yu... they absolutely couldn't keep someone else's gold, lest it cause trouble if discovered later.

Unless they hid it forever and never took it out.

But what's the point of hiding gold if you can't use it? What's the difference between unusable gold and a rock? It just takes up space.

Old Man Zhao was also hesitant, especially about that longevity lock. Even with his limited knowledge, he knew that longevity locks were usually made for beloved children in a family. In more particular households, children would wear them until they turned twelve.

A longevity lock buried in a pit usually meant one of two things: either a child buried it while playing, or a child died young, and the parents buried it because they couldn't bear the sight of it.

But even if a child died young, it should have been buried with them. Why would it be buried under the crooked-neck tree in the woods outside the town?

It didn't make sense!

"If we return it, what if they think we stole it?" Old Man Zhao was deeply troubled. Those guards were intimidating. If possible, he never wanted to have any dealings with noble families again in his life. His knees weren't weak, but facing such people, his spine never straightened—bending felt like the right thing to do.

Besides, they dug up the gold; they didn't steal it. If you dared to bury it, you should have been prepared for someone to dig it up, right? Why should they return it? It doesn't have your name on it!

...Wait a minute, maybe it does?

It suddenly dawned on Old Man Zhao—didn't the longevity lock have a name engraved on it? Back then, since the whole family was illiterate—fourteen people couldn't scrape together a single literate person—they dismissed it as scribbles and didn't pay much attention. But after getting used to Xiaobao writing on the ground with a stick, those crooked characters looked quite similar to the engravings on the longevity lock, didn't they?

Perhaps it was his conscience bothering him, or perhaps it was the General's Wife's generosity. After a moment of hesitation, Old Man Zhao hoisted the basket onto his back and said resolutely, "Forget it! For Jin Yu's sake, we'll make this extra trip! I believe his aunt is a reasonable person. We didn't steal or rob—we just got lucky. What's wrong with that? Nothing at all!"

Zhao Sandi quickly picked up his basket and followed, only to see his father heading home instead of back to town. Anxiously, he said, "Dad, you're going the wrong way! This isn't the road to town!"

"We need evidence! Shouldn't we bring the stuff?" Old Man Zhao grumbled. Otherwise, if they just went back and knocked on the door, saying, "Oh, we dug up a vase in the woods outside town, and the gold leaves inside look exactly like the gift you gave us. Would you like to see if it's something your family buried? So sorry, it's just our good luck. If it really is your family's, please take it back, blah blah blah..." Even if it was that longevity lock, at most, it was the keepsake of some distant nephew or even a side branch's child who died young. How could a dignified young lady who had long lived in the capital, now the General's Wife, care about your little things?!

They'd probably think they changed their minds halfway and were using this as an excuse to ask to go to the border with them!

Sigh.

Actions speak louder than intentions. Old Man Zhao was greedy and reluctant, but at heart, he was still an honest old farmer. If he didn't know, he could have taken it with a clear conscience. But now that he knew it might belong to the Yu family, regardless of whether the owners cared, he only wanted his own conscience to be clear. The rest could wait.

Besides, this time, they had given him over a hundred taels of silver and a box of gold. This was openly given money that they could spend however they wanted in the future, without having to worry about being discovered.

Don't be too greedy; greed never ends well. Old Man Zhao convinced himself along the way, suppressing his heartache. Thinking about the large fortune he was about to lose, he channeled his grief into strength, not stopping to rest again. Holding his breath, he hurried home under the moonlight.

Although everyone was sad that Wang Jinyu had left, it had to be said that with him gone, everything became more convenient.

Breakfast: grabbing steamed buns from the Immortal's Land. Lunch: grabbing flatbreads from the Immortal's Land. The Immortal's Land was so convenient!

Zhu Shi spent the entire day in the Immortal's Land, rendering the lard from two wild boars—two large basins full, enough to last a year if used sparingly.

While rendering the lard, she also stewed a large pot of pork knuckles. Wild boar meat wasn't as tasty as domestic pork; it was slightly tougher and had a gamey smell. Without strong seasoning, it was hard to eat. But this was free meat. Only wealthy families were picky; country folks were just happy to have meat. Why would they care about such things?

Adding a little of her father's treasured wine, slicing a few pieces of wild ginger, and finally tying up some wild scallions to blanch, skimming off the scum before pouring it into a clay pot with a few seasonings and stewing it fiercely for half a day—by the time it was done, the soft, sticky, and fragrant pork knuckles were so enticing that Old Man Zhao could smell them from afar.

As soon as father and son returned, Madam Wang hurriedly told her daughters-in-law to set the table. By the light of the fire, the whole family held bowls of rice, taking bites of pork knuckle and wild vegetables, eating with such gusto and satisfaction.

"Home is still the most comfortable!" Old Man Zhao said, head down as he ate from his big bowl. "You have no idea what lunch at the Yu family was like today. My goodness, I can't even remember the taste of all those good dishes on the table. What a waste."

"Me too. I kept feeling like someone was watching me, so I didn't dare eat freely," Zhao Sandi chimed in. He was quite sensitive to others' gazes. Even though it was just the three of them in the dining room, he felt like two pairs of eyes were watching them. There was no malice, but it was still uncomfortable and annoying.

"Do wealthy families have maidservants serving them during meals?" Zhu Shi asked curiously.

"No, we didn't see a single maidservant. From entering to leaving, the guards handled everything—guarding the gate and serving the food. There weren't even any footmen," Zhao Sandi said, recounting the news they had heard when they first entered town. "As soon as the General's Wife returned, she had the chief steward executed. I guess even if there were maidservants before, they were either dismissed or confined to the inner courtyard. Anyway, we didn't see any."

Then he mentioned how delicious the Yu family's tea and pastries were, making the children clamor with regret for not going along to enjoy the tea.

"How is Jinyu? Is his aunt treating him well?" Zhao Xiaowu turned to ask his grandfather. He was worried about his brother. After all, it was his maternal uncle's family, which wasn't much different from living under someone else's roof.

"Of course she is! She's his own aunt. Why are you worrying needlessly?" Old Man Zhao tapped him on the head. "If you want tea, it's simple. The General's Wife gave us a lot of things—tea, pastries, and silk thread. I thought the colors were quite pretty. Later, wife, distribute the thread among the daughters-in-law. You women should appreciate it."

Madam Wang nodded and thought for a moment before asking, "Should we go down the mountain tomorrow? Second Son went down to take a look today. The village is in an uproar—most households have hung white mourning banners. They spent the whole day just fishing bodies out of the manure pits, and there were collapsed pigsties... The Li family lost many clan members this time. Li Laiyin led a group to block Li Dahe's door, demanding to know exactly what happened that night and why no one survived. It seems they aren't willing to let it go and are determined to get to the bottom of it."

The old couple had discussed this. Madam Wang knew why only Luo Bo Niang survived. She didn't know how to judge the situation and couldn't say Luo Bo Niang was wrong. Just looking at how the Li family usually treated her, it was clear that if the Li clansmen in the pigsty had survived, Luo Bo Niang's only fate would have been drowning in a pond.

In times of great disaster, if everyone is in the same situation, people will sympathize with each other and band together. But if I'm suffering while you're living comfortably, no one would feel good about it. For someone who witnessed all your humiliation, you either cut ties forever or make them forget it completely.

If the Li family was determined to drown Luo Bo Niang, it would be difficult for their families to protect her. A simple "mind your own business" would shut them down. You can't meddle in other people's family affairs; overstepping would make everyone gossip behind your back about your lack of boundaries.

Even if they tried to protect her by force, given Luo Bo Niang's status as a widow, who knew what ugly rumors would spread later? Madam Wang, as a woman, knew better than anyone the nature of villagers.

They could create something out of nothing, let alone something with a shadow of truth.

But with everyone dead, she couldn't say she felt nothing. After all, they were from the same village—seeing each other daily, cutting pig grass together, quarreling and fighting. For them to all die like this—no one could remain indifferent.

But there was no other way. Life was about fighting for survival, just like villages upstream fighting for water during droughts—it all depended on individual ability. Moreover, they weren't without responsibility for this outcome. The village had repeatedly warned them: carry grain into the mountains—they didn't listen; don't raise pigs this year—they didn't listen. There were many chances to escape, but they couldn't bear to leave this or that behind. Who could they blame?

If they had to blame someone, they could only blame the court, the times, themselves...

Old Man Zhao shook his head. "Let's stay in the mountains for now. There's no place to live if we go down. Old Li did invite us to stay at his place until our house is rebuilt, but a golden nest or a silver nest is not as good as your own doghouse. Living in someone else's home is inconvenient everywhere. Since the village is in such an uproar, let's hide in the mountains and enjoy some peace and quiet."

He was also feeling frustrated. Although the eldest son had woken up, he was still in low spirits. After a day, the wound on his shoulder looked even more gruesome. If it weren't for that miraculous spot, the eldest son would have been gone this time! They'd risked their lives; one wrong move and all the family's men could have been wiped out. It made no sense for the villagers, who hadn't lifted a finger, to expect them to have everything perfectly sorted.

Nothing in this world comes that easy.

What could he do about so many clansmen dying? Could he bring them back to life?

"What about the crops down the mountain?"

"Second Son can go down and check on them daily; it's fine. Yong Zi and the others will help keep an eye on things." Old Man Zhao said, turning to look at Zhao Ertian. "Second Son, tomorrow when you go down the mountain, notify those families. The day after tomorrow, we'll meet at Huai Xia Wan. I have something to discuss with them."

Zhao Ertian nodded. "Got it, Pa."

Wang Shi figured he wanted to talk about the conscription. With the autumn harvest approaching, their family still didn't have a plan figured out. Whether to hide or flee, they couldn't decide. "Give them a heads-up early, so those families have some idea. That way, they won't be caught off guard and make mistakes in a panic."

Old Man Zhao put down his bowl and chopsticks, took a few raspberries from a nearby bowl, and tossed them into his mouth. The sweet and sour taste really cut through the greasiness. He smacked his lips and held out his palm to his daughter. Zhao Xiaobao hummphed a couple of times and placed another dozen or so raspberries in his hand.

"Dad, Xiaobao wants to eat the pastries." She was thinking about the pastries her dad mentioned and had lost all interest in gnawing on the pig's trotters.

"Go ahead and eat, if Xiaobao wants some." Old Man Zhao leaned over, pulled a nearby basket closer, dumped all the wild grass out, pulled out a box of pastries, and handed it to her. He then turned to his wife and said, "Oh, right, tomorrow, the third son and I have to go to the Yu family again."

"Did you forget something?" Wang Shi frowned. "Don't go getting ideas. The Yu family isn't a place we can just go to whenever we want. Don't go thinking you're all that close just because of Jin Yu's connection. And don't even think about climbing the social ladder; we can't reach that high."

"What are you talking about? What ladder am I climbing? Woman, must your words be so sharp?" Old Man Zhao was displeased. He reached into the basket, first tossing her the bag of silver, then fishing out the box of gold items pressed at the very bottom. He opened it, picked up a piece of gold leaf, and handed it to her. "Does this look familiar? This is the thank-you gift from Jin Yu's aunt."

Wang Shi reached out and took it. At a glance, her heart gave a violent jolt.

Old Man Zhao snorted coldly twice. "Climbing the social ladder? Right now, it's good enough if we don't offend anyone!"

Wang Shi felt her breathing become somewhat labored. Her hand holding the gold leaf trembled. "This..."

"Recognize it now, don't you? If it were just a few pieces of gold leaf, that would be one thing; they probably wouldn't care." Old Man Zhao sighed. "But what we dug up back then also included a gold hairpin and a longevity lock. After all, it's ill-gotten wealth. I thought, considering Jin Yu's face, I might as well make another trip."

"If it really belongs to them, then we should return it."

"If it's a keepsake from a child who died young, it's not right for us to keep it either." Worried she might be reluctant, Old Man Zhao opened the money pouch. Twenty-some small ingots tumbled out onto the ground. "Look, this is proper silver. We can spend it freely, haha! We're not at a loss. Let's just consider it an exchange with them!"

Then he told her about Jinyu's aunt being willing to take them to the border.

"So, they have that intention. They didn't put on airs or act superior with us father and son. I'll make one more trip. At most, it'll cost some legwork, but my conscience will be clear from then on."

Wang Shi felt somewhat unwilling in her heart. That was a lot of money. How could it be returned just because someone said so? Besides, they didn't steal it. Whoever dug it up got it. They obtained it by luck, so why wasn't it theirs?

But then, thinking of that longevity lock, she couldn't help but sigh. She turned to her daughter and said, "Xiaobao, bring Mother the wooden box with the gold from the cabin."

"Okay!" Zhao Xiaobao, who was busy distributing pastries to her nephews, immediately nodded upon hearing this. With a wave of her little hand, a familiar wooden box appeared on the ground.

Wang Shi opened the box, picked up the longevity lock, and handed it to her daughter and nephews. She asked, "Are there any characters engraved on it?"

Zhao Xiaobao immediately raised her chubby hand to answer first. "Yes, yes! Xiaobao noticed it a long time ago!" She really liked gold too and would secretly take it out to touch it from time to time, hehe.

"I know them too!" Zhao Gu, who had been studying characters most diligently, also raised his hand. He carefully held the longevity lock, afraid of damaging it, and read the engraved characters one by one, slowly and deliberately. "Ping, An, Xi, Le."

"And here." Zhao Xiaobao squeezed over, her plump little finger pointing to three tiny, mosquito-sized characters in the very center.

"Chen, Wu, Yu."